Townsend: Taylor ‘ready to go and can be a big player for us’
● Injury-hit centre returns for his first Test in two years has World Cup chance
Scotland coach Gregor Townsend views Saracens centre Duncan Taylor as a “big player” as the build-up to the World Cup starts to get serious with a first warm-up Test against France in Nice on Saturday evening. Taylor has been chosen to start his first Scotland game in two years, and first competitive one for over 12 months, and Townsend is excited to see a player he clearly views as a potentially crucial one for the tournament in Japan, which starts next month, take to the field.
“I was delighted Duncan got through last week’s training game [behind closed doors] against Edinburgh,” said Townsend yesterday after naming his first Scotland team since the epic 38-38 draw against England at Twickenham, which closed the Six Nations.
Taylor has endured a tough couple of years with a
GREGOR TOWNSEND “Duncan (Taylor, right) has trained really well... now it’s up to him to grab the opportunity’ concussion lay-off being followed by a knee-ligament injury which wrecked the whole of last season.
It is a testament to the regard the centre, who plays for English and European champions Saracens, is held in that lack of game time has not been a barrier to his being seen as a potentially vital cog in Scotland’s World Cup hopes. He will start alongside Huw Jones in the midfield at the Allianz Riviera on Saturday evening.
“He’s trained really well for the last two months with us and he’s obviously had a season of coming back from that injury and was in full training with Saracens at the end of the season,” added Townsend. “So he’s ready to go. He could be a big player for us over the next few weeks and months, but it’s now up to him to grab that opportunity.”
The upcoming four games, away then home against both France and Georgia, gives Townsend the chance to appraise what is currently a